Saturday, December 31, 2011

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

A Christmas Gift for Dollye...

So now you know how I spend my idle time whilst its blizzarding outside..... I love this little girl, she is so precious to me. I found her a while ago, quite a while ago actually, and she has been more than patient, content to reside in her unmentionables, until I had time to make a quaint little gown that agreed with her

This is how she was when I got her~ poor girl clad in c1890 dress and bonnet~ not at all anything like her original 1820-30 wardrobe would have resembled. She was extremely happy to be free of them! Her replaced skin wig, tho cunning on the 'right' doll, looked, well, unbecoming on her, to put it nicely. Besides being to small it washed out her pretty features...and ghads, whats up with the widow's peak in the front! AKKKK! She spoke to me tho, I could see her for what she is, and once was, a wonderful first quarter 19th c wax over mache precious~ dollys like these are English, she is on her original body~ the feet pointing inward are a distinct feature of these dolls, as are the red kid leather lower arms with individually stitched fingers. Later 1830s you see the slit heads where wigs were rooted, and some with wire sleep eyes~ this one tho, she is an early early girl with very well done painting and those wonderful blue glass eyes

What a change , a change of wardrobe can make, don't you think? She looks absolutely content in her new duds. I hand stitched her an empire waist gown from a coveted bit of antique late 1820 printed cotton I had here~ been saving it forever for just the right something! This style of dress was very common on these little dolls~ it is simple, yet can be made to be quite elegant just by changing the materials of it. This same pattern, but made up say, out of a silk satin, with perhaps an overlay of netting, would be most acceptable, even for dolly's mistress, to attend an evening dinner or soiree. I made her a little poke bonnet from antique crinoline and lace, and yes, cut a little lock of my own hair for her to wear. Tho she does have a painted pate, she really didn't want to be bald.......

Just a whisp of hair~ I love this picture~ you can appreciate the skilled tinting of her cheeks, precious rosebud lips and those wild eyebrows!

Her shoulder plate is actually quite deep, it goes nearly to the red silk ribbon on her dress. She is a rare survivor to remain in such good condition~ her wax is clean and bright, just nearly as it once was when new. These dollys were commonly sold in places like the famed 'SoHo Bazaar' in London, and by peddlers called 'Bagmen'~ which is where the term 'Bagmen Babies' also comes from.

Her red kid leather arms are original, but do show their age. Perfect individually stitched fingers grace her hands~ and from the worm holes, we can see that scraps of other leather gloves were used to stuff hers.

I left her her most likely original pantaloon and stockings, but made her a little pair of shoes out of two fingers from a pair of antique green kid leather gloves~ actually one of a pair tha thad lost its mate long ago~ I have seen shoes made like this of the period, and actually, was quite surprised how easy it was, and how good they look. They are the tips of the ring and middle fingers, just snipped off in their entirety, you will cut a slit in the top that becomes the vamp, and then stitch the 2 sides up center heel in the back and voi~la~ a little shoe that fits dollye perfect.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

New Dollys on TDIPT Mercantile tonight~

Merry Christmas! I will be off doing a bit of my own Merry~making at the childrens Christmas program, so will be updating my page on the mercantile about an hour later than normal tonight~ hope you all will join me and say hello!

I hope you all have a wonderful Holiday season, whatever you celebrate! Keep kindness and love in your heart, give a smile to someone you have never met before....realize that every second of every day, is a precious gift. One of the things I really love about Christmas time, is the tree as most know! We have a tree up in the house, and another I keep in the gallery, with my most special, prized ornaments on it. No, they're not solid gold or diamonds....but they are priceless none the less, each keeping a special memory of my life within it. I have made alot of them, at school when I was young, with my Mother, with my own children now~ some have pictures, some dear Dear friends have made for me. I love this tree, and one of my favorite things to do is sit at night beside it, and just stare at them~ they're so magical on the tree.

Some I have had since my earliest memories~ like the Raggedy Ann in the center my Mother painted for me nearly 40 years ago~ she has been with me EVERY Christmas! Tressa crochet me the little wee red stocking hanging beside her, and look, you can see one of my little Wedgwood tile angels near the bottom :)

I have a glass bee on a skep to celebrate our own honey bees, I found it the first year we harvested Honey~ such a special memory with the children all taking turns to spin the combs. My Son made the green Popsicle stick reindeer at school in the first grade, and put his picture in there~ I LOVE those ornaments~ they are sooooo special! Down low, next to a Queen Anne dolly I made, is a glass lobster & trap~ my husbands personal favorite, remembrance of when he once worked on a Lobster boat when we lived in Maine.

Santas and popsicle frames of toothless grins~ so much fun to hunt them on the tree. And center, MY real egg my Mother made for me with Raggedy Ann & Andy within~ I can remember her making them, so careful to blow out the eggs, we simmered the paraffin on the stove to coat the insides with, and glitter....I can also remember having to fenaggle this one from her for my tree. I guess with 4 children, I need to make more ornaments...if they're all going to want them for their own trees when they grow up~ AKKK!!! And finally, my Christmas would not be complete without one of my most favorite paintings from a Dear artist friend, Jane DesRosier. I am lucky enough to own 5 of her gorgeous paintings, but this one is my most favorite of all~

For my worldly companions

About Me

The Lady's Repository Museum is a privately owned museum dedicated to the collection, preservation and study of unique early American fashions of both women and children, the later being a specialty.
All proceeds from Diamond K Folk Art sales (antique reproduction Folk Art, Dolls & hooked rugs) directly support the Museum, of which can be found on ETSY, eBay and the DKFA Blog~ please see the links on the sidebar. You can also mail me at rlkinnison@yahoo.com